Agkistrodon

A genus of venomous snakes native to the Americas, including copperheads and water moccasins, characterized by heat-sensing pits.

From Greek 'agkistron' (fish hook) and 'odous' (tooth), literally 'hook-tooth.' Scientists named this genus after the snakes' curved fangs, which resemble fish hooks. Carl Linnaeus and later herpetologists used Greek and Latin for scientific nomenclature.